


girl from the north pole

by cosmicpoet



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Christmas, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 10:03:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17139740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicpoet/pseuds/cosmicpoet
Summary: Maki works as an elf in 'Santa's Grotto' in the shopping centre. Kaito just wanted to bring his little sister to see Santa, but her Christmas wish is for her big brother to start dating this wonderful, obviously real life elf.





	girl from the north pole

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StarEyedPrince](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarEyedPrince/gifts).



Maki catches a glimpse of her reflection in a shop window and scowls; her reflection mirrors her expression, and she frowns even harder, as if she’s trying to catch it out, like no imitation of her can ever be as _pissed off_ as she, the real Maki, is right now.

The garish green and red of her elf costume, coupled with the bright pink circles painted on her cheeks, bring together an outfit that’s supposed to make her look happy and endearing. In actuality, she thinks that her looks begin and end at the word ‘stupid’. After all, she knew what she was in for when she took a temporary job at the shopping centre in December. There was no ambiguity on the application form about what her job would entail, and although she’s not exactly _pleased_ to be dressed up like an idiot on Christmas Eve, surrounded by the bustle of last minute shoppers, at least it pays the bills.

Everyone who’s known her for longer than an hour would say that she’s good with children. And they wouldn’t be lying - for some reason, she has no idea why, she does seem to have a motherly instinct that completely juxtaposes her entire personality otherwise. So, whilst she ushers children into the cotton-wool-snow decorated Santa’s Grotto, they seem to keep smiling at her.

All she wants is to get off her feet, go home, and marathon Grey’s Anatomy until she falls into a red wine induced sleep. Christmas Day can go and fuck itself; she’s had enough of ridiculously bright lights and badly wrapped gifts this month. New Year can’t come fast enough.

A young girl with purple hair approaches her, a gift in her arms. She’s just been to see ‘Santa’, evidently, and now Maki has to hand her a candy cane and hope that she leaves quietly and doesn’t hold up the queue. Although her shift finishes at 5pm, it’s an unwritten rule of the shopping centre Christmas display not to leave until every child has received a gift from Santa, and so if the queue drags on and people start to hold up the line, she could be here until half past six at best.

When she hands the candy cane to the girl, she says thank you and then pauses, looking up at Maki. She seems to study her face for a while, a fact which makes Maki heavily uncomfortable, but she can’t exactly _stop_ it or say anything without risking getting fired.

“Hey, big bro,” the girl says, “this woman is pretty. You should date her!”

The aforementioned ‘big bro’, a man around Maki’s age with matching purple hair, goes bright red. When Maki looks at him, she sees that he’s wearing his jacket in a strange way - it’s a nice, faux-leather thing, but he’s only got one of his arms in the sleeve, and the other just hangs at his side.

“Sorry,” he says, sounding as flustered as he looks, “she’s been trying to set me up all month.”

“Why?” Maki laughs.

“She said her Christmas wish is for her big bro to be happy, and she thinks having a girlfriend will do that. Ten year olds, man, they know the world better than any of us.”

“So…”

“Just ignore it. I’m really sorry. I bet it’s really awkward to have shit like this sprung on you at work.”

“Kinda. But I’ve had worse.”

“Really?”

“Picture 50 year old men telling me about their,” Maki realises that she’s supposed to be professional, and so she winks and says, _“candy canes.”_

“Yikes. That’s a huge nope from me.”

“Hey, that’s one thing we’ve got in common, I guess.”

“Yeah! Anyway…sorry for bothering you. Say thank you to the nice elf for the candy cane,” he says to his little sister.

“Hey, maybe _the nice elf_ has a name?” Maki says.

“No name tag,” he replies.

“I _meant_ I was going to tell you. I’m Maki.”

“Kaito.”

_“See!_ And if you date a real life elf,” Kaito’s little sister says, “that means I get double the presents at Christmas!”

“Watch it Akiko,” Kaito smiles at her, “or you’re getting coal from me.”

“You be nice to your big brother,” Maki says, “and maybe your Christmas wish might come true. _And_ you can have another candy cane.”

“Kaito, you _have_ to marry her. Please! We can have a North Pole wedding, and I’ll be the flower girl, and -”

“What d’you say I take her on a date first?” Kaito says.

“Only with the express permission of Akiko here. We can’t have a North Pole wedding without input from someone so high up on the Nice List.”

Akiko bursts out into a wide smile, something so sweet that it makes even Maki join in on the happiness. It reminds her that the world is good, and just because her childhood was painful, doesn’t mean that she can’t try to put some kindness out into the world to make other people feel happier than she did.

“Yes!” Akiko shouts.

“It’s settled then, I guess,” Maki smirks, “you have North Pole permission to ask me on a date, Kaito.”

“Alright then…Maki, will you go on a date with me?”

“Sure thing.”

And that’s how it turns out to be that Maki Harukawa finds that she doesn’t exactly _hate_ Christmas. Hate is a strong word, and something that, when she holds onto it, only hurts her more. Maybe it’s time for a change, for something new, and maybe Kaito will be the person to help her become better. Because it was never about staying the same, nor was it about truly hating Christmas, it was just a waiting game, and she can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It just so happens that that light seems to be emanating from the brightest star in the sky. At Christmas. Which is cliché, but after the life she’s had, Maki thinks that she reserves the right to be a little cliché at times. And who better to rework her love of the world with than with someone who blushes at the thought of a date and loves Christmas enough for the both of them?

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas Yuli!! Thank you for being an amazing friend this year!!


End file.
